I aspire to be more prepared the next time.  My preparedness includes many different aspects.  In my opinion, the most important thing I have done is to learn as much as possible about what to expect and how to deal with those situations.  The other important thing that gives me some piece of mind is that I carry and stock away water, food, ammo, books, and other tools and equipment that should help me survive a bad situation.  Be prepared!

The other inspiration for my preparations is my family.  Seeing my family suffer from lack of water or food would be very hard for me, especially if some easy and cheap preparations could have made a big difference.  Recently, a few friends and family have asked me about my preparations and how they might prepare.  I didn't have a good short answer because I have spent years learning and stocking away.  I thought of myself as more of a student than a teacher in this area, but now I think I do know enough to give some basic advice and refer them to good sources for more.  Hopefully, they (and you) can learn from my mistakes without having to waste time, energy and money on things that don't work.  Of course, I haven't been through every situation or disaster but I have made it through a few tough spots without losing my head.  My advice is based upon what I know to work and also what sounds like it would work with the minimum fuss.  I always prefer the cheap, easy, home-made solution, but sometimes it is worth the cost to get a quality item that is just too hard to improvise or where the manufactured solution is much better (such as a knife).  Keep it simple stupid (KISS) when you can.  With persistence you can get a lot done $20 at a time.

The purpose of this document is to give an overview of preparedness and the first steps to take.  I focus more on the why than the what so that you can tailor your preparedness to your own situation and budget.  I will also cite the best sources I have found for more information.  There is a lot of information out there in books, classes, web sites, and forums. Most of it is good but it is also really repetitious and overwhelming.  This document is only about 15 pages printed out (you are printing important information (not necessarily this) aren't you - since in an emergency you may not have power and need to take the information with you).  I try to keep my important preparedness documents in an expandable file folder with a tie inside a plastic crate.

What are you preparing for?

No one really knows what will be the next survival situation they will face or how it will play out (will it get worse before it gets better?).  It could be getting lost hiking, the car getting two flats in the middle of the desert, a hurricane, a home invasion, an earthquake, or a terrorist attack.  You must assess your own situation and determine what you need to prepare for.  Of course some preparations will be useful in many situations including everyday life, and these are the best type.

In order to get an idea of what to prepare for, look at the types of situations that you or people similar to you have been through.  Also, assess where you live or spend a lot of time such as work and vacation.  We need to learn from the past but without fighting the last war. 

I like hiking and being outdoors, so for me learning how not to get lost and how to stay alive in the outdoors are high priorities.  These skills may also come in handy if I need to walk to safety during a terrorist attack because all of the roads and public transportation are closed.  Living in your house without power or water isn't too different from camping except for the nice roof over your head and all of your stuff.  I have also taken a first aid class.  It is pretty limited in coverage but still useful in a variety of situations.

To assess the likely dangers to where I live and work I used several sources including FEMA (free guide), DHS, Disaster Center, Emergency Essentials, Two Tigers and CBS.  Also, find your local emergency response office.  But don't rely on the government too much for planning or for help.  As we relearned with the Katrina response, their information and advice is far from perfect.  And FEMA has always said it will take 72 hours to respond.  So the way I look at it, during Katrina, FEMA (and local governments) failed to live up to its own low expectations.  But even if FEMA had been able to provide more food and water, you would still be much better off taking care of yourself.  Do you really want to be told what possessions you can hold, when to eat, when to sleep, and live in close quarters with thousands of strangers?  Sounds like prison to me.

It's A Disaster is a good book that will get you started on a plan for most disasters.  Some of their plans are a little passive for me (don't take any risks and follow all FEMA directions) and their kits lack some important things like knives.  Still, it is a very good book and a great start.  Family and friends should be included in your planning and preparations as much as they want to be, but be careful about telling people who you do not trust or know well.  You do not want to become a target in a crisis.

I think one of the best sources for thinking about what you are preparing for and what does and doesn't work is news and first hand accounts.  These are some of the best ones I have found.  A few of them seem kind of glib and bravado but the advice seems sound.

True Stories of Survival

Hurricane Katrina: http://www.frfrogspad.com/disastr.htm

Argentina thread 1: http://www.clairewolfe.com/wolfesblog/arg.html

Argentina thread 2 (some swearing): http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2715

Airplane crash: http://www.equipped.com/waldock698.htm

Ground Zero: http://www.equipped.org/groundzero.htm

Karen Hood's Survival Journal (a week in the wilderness) http://www.survival.com/karen1.htm

Sailing to Hawaii http://www.equipped.com/0698rescue.htm

Tsunami http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/

Alaska http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/8017/index2.html

A list of stories

Priorities

The survival Rule of Threes:

• It takes about three seconds to die without thinking
• It takes about three minutes to die without air
• It takes about three hours to die without shelter
• It takes about three days to die without water
• It takes about three weeks to die without food
• It takes about three months to die without hope
• Try to have at least three ways of preventing each of the above (a backup to your backup).

So the priorities are thinking, air, shelter, water, food, and hope.  These are rules of thumb and approximations.  Also, you will likely start feeling really bad before you die so you need to be proactive in addressing these needs.

Thinking
Basically, don't panic and do something stupid.  This is easier said than done, but you can build your thinking skill and confidence by playing “what if” games. After reading about the risks to your area and the survival stories above, think about what kinds of things could go wrong and how you would deal with them.  The more detail the better.  What would you do if a cat 5 hurricane was projected to hit your house?  Where would you go?  What would you take?  Would it all fit in your car?  Do you have enough gas to get there if the gas stations are closed?  What if you don't have time to leave? What room in your house is safest (can you reinforce it easily)?

If you are facing a serious situation but no immediate threat, take the time to consider your options before rushing into a course of action.  Take an inventory of what you have on hand and what is around you.  Think of how each item could help solve one or more of your priorities. 

Thinking about these things may be scary but it will be less scary when it actually happens if you have thought it through.  Focus on what you can do to improve things and not on what you cannot change. Thinking can also be more long term as in learning and planning.  I suggest you read some of the sources below and then come up with a plan for several types of situations that you are likely to face.  But don't delay, you can take some first steps outlined below, such as storing water, right now.  You can then read more, take classes and collect useful items.  Preparing is a process not a one time event.

Air
Having breathable air is not something you usually have to worry about, but it is an immediate priority if you do.  First aide can help with choking and bleeding (which causes the body to not get needed oxygen). Hundreds of people die from carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning every year because of gas leaks and cooking or heating indoors.  Being at altitude can also make it harder to breath.  Finally, a terrorist attack could put dust, chemical, biological, or nuclear contamination in the air or force you into a shelter that needs ventilation.  Be aware of these dangers and have appropriate detectors if possible (smoke, carbon monoxide, etc.).  A wet cloth or hand wipe (carry on airplane) to breathe through can help for dust or smoke.

Shelter

Shelter is mainly about staying dry and the right temperature, but you also want to avoid sunburn, bugs, animals and other dangers.  Your house is your usual primary shelter but it could become damaged or you may have to evacuate.  You should have emergency repair items on hand such as tarps, lumber, shovels, nails, plastic sheeting, crowbars, and a saw.

Your clothes are your first and most important layer of shelter outdoors.  Clothes protect you from heat, cold and abrasions.  In general silk, wool, and synthetic materials are better than cotton especially to keep you warm in cold wet weather. I find cotton more comfortable especially in hot weather, so I compromise and wear a cotton shirt and shorts, but carry a better shirt, pants and socks in my bag, as well as additional layers and a change of underwear.  This makes my pack a little heavier, but I have been cold and wet in the wilds and that is miserable.  For me, a hat and sunglasses are indispensable.  I try to always carry at least a light water resistant jacket or poncho (with a garbage bag as a backup).  For me, boots are the only sensible walking shoes.  Find some that are rugged and comfortable.  Have extra laces and a backup pair.

You can carry a tent, a tarp or garbage bag for resting and sleeping.  A tarp can make a simple shelter or an elaborate one.  Rope, twine and tape are also useful.  You can carry some type of staff or tent poles or make them with an ax or saw.  Mosquito netting is necessary in some places.

You should have many ways to start a fire since most are cheap and compact.  At least have a lighter, matches, and flint.  You can also build a firebed to sleep in if you have inadequate shelter from the cold.

Water
This is a crucial area that can be helped a lot with very cheap and easy actions before The Schumer Hits The Fan (TSHTF).  This is probably the thing you can do with the highest payoff for amount of effort.  The only problem with water is that it is heavy and can take up a lot of room.  If you have storage room and are staying home this isn't a problem but if you are on the move it can become a driving factor in your progress.  Long term solutions are also difficult if your primary water source (city water or well) goes out and you are not near a river or lake. 

Used plastic soda bottles and orange juice jugs with screw tops make very convenient water storage containers.  Just rinse them a few times with hot water. Old liquor bottles and wine box bladders work well too.  I also have several canteens and rugged 5 gallon containers with taps.  The five gallon containers weigh about 40 pounds each and are about as big as can be easily moved (larger drums can go in your basement or garage or under a rain spout).  A few collapsible containers might also be useful because they can be stored and carried empty.  Tap water can last for years without going bad if kept in a cool dark place.  But you should check water that has been stored for clarity and odors.  If in doubt, treat it with one of the methods below.  You can also freeze the plastic soda or orange juice containers (these do crack sometimes when freezing) and use them in a cooler to keep food cold if the power goes out before drinking it.  If you know a disaster is coming fill up any container you can including the coffee maker, crystal vase, bucket, bathtub, sink, and kiddy pool (some of these could be spilled or contaminated but hopefully some will make it).

Most sources recommend about a gallon per person per day.  People consume about 2 quarts in cool low activity environments but much more if hot or active.  You should have at least 2 weeks worth per person in your primary residence (but why not have months worth if you have the room).  If you are traveling by car, three days worth per person is minimum (more for bathing), and if you are walking take as much as you reasonably can carry but at least one days worth (several small bottles are better for diversification if one leaks and also to let you know to start looking for more water before you are on your last bottle).  I also store extra water for washing and bathing.  Here the container doesn't matter quite as much.  I use old liquid detergent jugs.  You should also have at least two methods of sterilizing water. 

The first step in sterilizing water is to get the water as clear as possible.  If it is cloudy, strain it with coffee filters, a clean cloth, or sand.  Or you can let it settle and pour off the more clear water. 

The primary and most reliable method of sterilizing water is boiling.  You actually do not need to boil the water just heat it past 145 degrees for long enough. But if you don't do it right you can get sick.  So to be safe, boil it for 5 minutes if you can.  If you are walking, a metal cup (enamel or stainless) or a converted tin can is easier to boil than a full pot.  You can carry a backpacking stove or a Kelly Kettle.  You can use solar power to sterilize water (in a soda bottle) if no cooking is possible.  Other stoves are suggested below under food. 

To sterilize water with bleach use 2 drops of plain unscented bleach per quart of water (or 8 drops per gallon or 1⁄4 tsp per 2 gallons).  If you don't have a dropper you can wet a paper towel and then drip it (wear gloves).  Let the water sit for 20 minutes and then smell it.  If it smells like chorine then its good to go.  If it doesn't, repeat with the same amount of bleach.  If that doesn't work try to find other water.  (Really bad water or salt water requires a still.)  Bleach is cheap but does not last forever - rotate.  Dry Calcium Hypochlorite {sold as "pool shock" bleach) stores much better than liquid bleach but requires an additional step of mixing a solution. (It provides a very inexpensive long term solution to water treatment).

There are also Potable Aqua iodine tablets that are more compact for sterilizing water.  You can also use Tincture of Iodine.  Iodine and chlorine are poisons so be very careful (kill the bacteria not yourself. [Avoid ingesting chlorine or iodine crystals!])

Any of the chemical treatments can make the water taste funny.  You can use drink mixes to make it taste better.  I'm not sure if sports drinks are really better, but Gatorade seems more thirst quenching to me than water.  The powder form is more convenient and cheaper.  You can also make your own sports drink (1/4 tsp nu salt (potassium chloride), 1⁄4 tsp salt, 3-6 tbsp sugar (to taste), juice of 1 lemon (or orange), and optional flavoring (Kool-Aid) per gallon of water) or switchel.        

Of course you can spend money for water if you want to.  You can buy prepackaged water or expensive filters. There are backpacking filters but I have found these to be temperamental.  A water bottle with a filter would be a good backup or a straw. You can also go the more expensive route with a good gravity fed filter like this: http://www.doultonfilters.com/gravity.html.  This is a great looking solar still but doesn't appear to be for sale right now. 

If you are a homebrewer (or like beer), you can add some dry malt extract, hops, and dry yeast to your stash.  Beer is boiled as part of the brewing process.  Then the alcohol and hops act as a natural preservative.  For the long term you can get some sproutable barley, grow some hops, and culture yeast.  If you or someone with you doesn't handle alcohol well, skip this. 

Food
Providing food can be as easy or complicated as you want.  The easiest thing to do is simply buy more of any food you normally buy that stores well.  By store well, I mean does not spoil.  Foods like fresh milk, meat and bread do not store well.  Other foods like rice, dried beans and pasta all store well and are cheap.  They eventually lose some of their nutrition but this is gradual and will not make you sick from eating “expired” food if you forget to rotate.  I do not list exact rotation schedules because every source is different.  Some sources say grains only last one year but most sources say 10 plus years and other credible sources say hundreds or thousands of years.  It all depends upon how it is packed and where it is stored which is discussed below (vacuum packed, cool and dry are best) Canned meats, fruits and vegetables store okay and are more expensive.

How much food you want to have on hand depends on what type of situation you expect and how much you want to spend.  Buying a month' worth of rice, beans, salt, and pasta will not cost much (and is a good start).  You will be a lot happier if you add:

• canned or dried meat (Costco and BJs have multipaks of Spam, ham, tuna and chicken for under $10)
• canned or dried fruits and nuts
• canned or dried vegetables
• dried potatoes
• canned or dried sauces (for pasta, chili, etc.)
• soup mixes (bean soups are cheap) and bullion
• dried onions
• parmesan cheese
• cooking oil
• ramen noodles
• peanut butter
• mayo
• vinegar
• sugar and honey
• powdered milk
• bread crumbs, stuffing, oatmeal, cereal
• flour, pancake mix, biscuit mix
• baking soda
• cocoa, instant coffee, tea, drink mixes, juice mixes (cranberry)
• lemon juice
• dry yeast
• spices 

Some of these can be eaten without cooking or water if you have to.  Costco is great for the rice, canned goods, bullion, yeast (2 pound box), cooking oil and spices. Don't forget a can opener and other utensils.  Of course you can do the drying (wood or solar) and canning yourself for better quality and lower cost.  The oil, flour, baking soda and yeast (refrigerate the yeast if possible) do not store well and have to be rotated more frequently than the rice, beans and pasta.  You will be healthier if you add some multivitamins.  There are also luxury items like Powerbars, powdered eggs, powdered cheese, powdered butter, food tabs, and meals ready to eat (MREs).

To decide how much you need, you can simply scale up recipes and meals (print some simple recipes that use your stored food).  How much rice and beans would you eat at a meal or in a day if that was all you ate?  A lot probably (make a meal as a trial).  Now multiply that by the number of people and the number of days and you have a ball park of how much to store.  The problem is that you could end up feeding more people than your immediate family.  Who else would you not turn away? (Anyone you wouldn't want to live with normally is not someone you want to be stuck with in a crisis.  That said there is some family I wouldn't turn away even if they deserve it).  Start with the cheap stuff (rice, beans, pasta, salt) and then slowly keeping adding and rotating the other food until you have at least one months worth.  Do an inventory at least twice a year.

Store everything in airtight/waterproof containers inside a tough container in a cool, dry, dark place.  Some things come packed pretty well and can just go in a plastic bucket or crate (cans can be dipped in wax).  Other items should be vacuum packed in small bags or large mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and then put in the plastic bucket with a lid or crate (with a solid latching lid).  If you don't have shelves, you can make shelves out of the buckets or crates and 1”x12” lumber.  Put 2”x4”'s under the bottom shelf to keep it off the floor.

For years worth of food instead of months worth of food we need to move to grain and grain grinders.  The Church of Latter Day Saints are the experts here.  They also have storehouses that will sell to the public if you are polite.  Of course you can buy online but the shipping will be as much or more than the food.  I went cheap and was able to get about six months worth of food for one person for $100.  I stuck to grains (400 lbs/year), beans (40 lbs/year), soup mix (20 lbs/year), and milk (16 lbs/year) (I already had sugar (60 pounds/year), salt (10 lbs/year), oil (5 gallons/year), baking soda and yeast).  I borrowed some of their equipment to pack some of the food, the rest I packed at home in the mylar bags and buckets described above.  The milk is a sticky powder and very messy (think of spilling flour and multiply by 100), repack it outside if possible.  I also bought a hand operated grain grinder to make flour from the wheat.  Then I can make bread (scale this recipe up to one loaf per day for a year as a cross check for a year's supply).  This would be a pretty miserable diet but I think it would keep me alive and healthy if I had enough vitamins.  Because of the sack size I have more of some things than others so towards the end I may be eating paste.  I hope to upgrade later.  For infants you need more milk, oil, sugar, and vitamins from which you can make an emergency formula (breast feeding is better, then you give the extra food to the mother). 

For even longer food solutions you need to farm.  Supplementing your food with a garden or sprouting would also make things last longer and provide some healthy variety.  Its best to have some non-hybrid seeds on hand or save seeds from your garden.  Serious (expensive) seed packages are here.  Have some fertilizer and pesticides on hand but in the long run organic is the way to go.

For cooking you can use a wood burning stove, barbeque, or camp stove in the short run (have some extra fuel on hand).  The Petromax lantern is pricey but well made and also has a stove attachment.  If you don't have one of these or run out of fuel you can build one: a coffee can stove, a bucket stove (avoid galvanized metal), a alcohol stove, a collapsible stove, a tin can stove (simple version), solar oven (portable version), or a clay stove (print directions for making at least one of these).  This is also a good commercial stove for those with cash to burn.  These are much more efficient than an open fire.  You need a good pot or dutch oven for boiling water and cooking.  For more portable food you can go with MREs, make your own or stock what ever you would normally backpack with.

Hope
Hope is different for everyone.  It can be safety, comfort, companionship, or normalcy.  For me it is mainly hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I can work hard and persevere if I know eventually things will get better.  This means long term planning.  So I want to have what I need in the short term but also have some hope for the long term (so I have gardening tools and seeds in addition to rice and spam).  You also want comfort items such as a book, Bible, game, coloring book, pictures, beer, tea, or warm shower.  Some of these can be dual purpose such as a book about hiking or gardening, survival playing cards, or a novel about survival and perseverance. 

Equipment
There are lots of things you can get, but you can also just organize what you have already.   The number of lists seems endless and what you need depends upon the situation, your skills, and your budget.  Here is what is wrong with the DHS kit  I have already mentioned several items above and list some others here but being comprehensive would take a lot of space (read the links and references for more).  Here are some basics.

All types of camping equipment and tools come in handy but can be expensive (shipping can be expensive too so you may want to make your own, try your local yard sales, craigslist, sporting goods or hardware store first).  You may want a small tent to carry and a larger tent to put in the car.  Sleeping pads are as much for insulation as for comfort (learned the hard way—you don't want to be in the cold without some insulation between you and the ground).  A hammock can be multipurpose.  You can try your local hardware store for lanterns or Lehman's (they also have candle making supplies).

I suggest four knives for anyone responsible enough to have one (in general you get what you pay for, but start cheap and upgrade later): a folding lock blade knife (buck and gerber are both good reasonably priced brands), a Swiss army knife (with saw blade) or leatherman type knife (pliers are handy), a solid full tang knife, and a machete or short sword for brush.  A kitchen knife can work until you get any of these.  A hatchet would also be useful.  Keep them sharp.

You need several maps (local, state (small scale and large scale), neighboring states, topographic and road) and a compass.  A GPS is optional but very handy.  There are usually welcome centers along interstates and in some cities that hand out free maps.  The USGS is a good source for reasonably priced maps but sometimes it is a bit hard to find what you are looking for.  They have a catalog for each state that really helps. They are also very friendly by phone but still prefer if you order online. 

You should have at least one non portable (plug in) phone that can be used with the power out.  Medicine, diapers and feminine products will be hard to get.  A generator is great but can be expensive and you must have enough fuel (I don't have one but want one).  Solar powered battery chargers are really slow but might be the only option.

Change your attitude, don't be wasteful, and you can reuse many items. A tin can becomes a cup or pot with a little work.  Use both sides of a piece of paper and then use it as insulation or tinder.  Waste not, want not.  This also minimizes trash as there may be no trash pickup.

Organize your equipment and supplies into different levels and packages

Stuff you almost always carry

You should make a small kit that fits in your pocket or around your neck.  This should include:

• ways to make a fire (matches, mini bic, flint, etc.)
• a button compass
• a small knife or razor blade, broken hack saw blade, small file
• Swiss Tech Micro-Tech 6-in-1 Tool
• led light
• small candle (light or fire making)
• a saw
• short piece of wire
• parachute cord (as much as will fit)
• iodine tablets
• sturdy needle and thread
• individual salt servings
• food tabs, hard candy, bullion or individual parmesan cheese/sugar (if space permits)
• freezer bags (water)
• nails (assortment)
• trash bag if it will fit (poncho or tarp)
• dental floss (twine)
• Advil, Imodium, Benadryl, vitamins, band aids, SPF chapstick any other essential medicine for you or your family (all labeled)
• fish hooks, split shot, fish line, safety pins.
• Survival cards can go in kit or wallet (you can make something similar). 

Personal Fanny Pack (or vest)

This should be small enough and attached to you so that you do not put it down even when you take a break.  Take it with you on any hike, drive or emergency.  A large fanny pack works well or Ranger Rick suggests putting everything in a vest and a bamboo walking stick.  You can duplicate some of the items in your mini kit but add substantially.

• Survival cards or pocket survival guide (or print some out).
• Knife of your choice (another one can go in your pocket or on your belt)
• Sharpening stone (or ceramic insulator)
• Fire materials (matches and tender (dryer lint, cotton balls in Vaseline, small candles, etc.) waterproofed)
• Magnifying glass wrapped in bandana
• Pliers if your knife doesn't have them
• Compass
• Maps
• Metal cup (boiling water)
• 2 small bottles of water
• Freezer bags (organization, waterproofing and for more water)
• Small camp soap (or traveler's shampoo)
• Iodine tablets
• At least 2 trash bags (clear for still and heavy black for shelter), or tarp and poncho, or space blanket, or light weight jacket with hood (a shell that compacts) or hat
• Rope, twine and wire
• Headlamp and extra batteries
• Candle
• Wipes (these are multipurpose and are more compact than toilet paper, keep them in zip lock bags (add a little water if they get dry))
• Gloves and socks
• Small first aide kit (including prescriptions)
• Sunscreen and bug repellant.
• Whistle
• Snacks (powerbars, trail mix, food tabs, tea, Gatorade mix, bullion, beef jerky, MRE)
• A GPS, FRS radio, am/fm radio, cell phone, or CB can go in here if it fits
• Mini binoculars (to spot landmarks, approaching fires, etc.)
• Notepad and pencil or pen
• A multipurpose tool is a good backup for the other items.

72 hour kit (or less)

To some, the 72 hour kit is everything they have in their house for disasters.  I think this should be what you take with you if you have to evacuate (even on foot).  If you can't carry 72 hours worth of food and water (that is a lot of water even if you only plan 2 quarts per day), scale it down and put the rest in a car bug out kit that can be used in your house or on the road.  You can also make a similar kit for work or other places you are likely to be in an emergency.  It should be in a medium sized backpack that you can easily carry (get a rain cover for the backpack (or make one)—these really help in wet conditions).  Again, repeat items in your smaller kits as you see fit.  Here are some suggestions:

• It's a Disaster! Book (or print out a similar one)
• Personal mini-kit and fanny pack or vest (attached to you separately from the backpack)
• Water (as much as you can fit without making the bag too heavy, you can carry some containers empty and fill them later)
• Changes of clothes (several underwear and socks, long underwear)
• Jacket, hat, and sunglasses
• Sleeping bag or blanket (and compact pad), hammock
• Soap and other toiletries (comb, nail clippers and razor)
• Small stove and/or lantern (or directions and supplies for making one of the stoves above)
• Small tent or tarp and netting, plastic sheeting, tent poles and stakes (multipurpose)
• Stuff sacks, mesh bags, pillow cases for organization
• Duct tape
• Hatchet or machete, folding saw
• Small shovel
• Rope, twine and bungee cords
• Backpacking pot/pan
• Cooking and eating utensils (kitchen knife, can opener, spatula, spoon, forks, plates, cups)
• Foil
• Dish soap, sponge, dish pan or bucket (collapsible) (also a wash basin or bucket), towel
• Food (Snacks and MREs as well as rice)
• Vitamins
• Detailed road maps
• topo maps
• Extra ammo
• Pocket warmers

• A GPS, FRS radio (everyone with a list of channels to use), am/fm radio, solar calculator, or CB (whatever you have that fits)
• Copies of important documents, phone numbers, extra credit card, cash, ID
• Comfort items (book, cards, bible, pictures, coloring books, games)

Car Kit

Keep this in the car if possible.  I used to keep a lot of this in my car but since some of it was stolen, I keep most of it in the house and load it up for longer trips.  I have something similar to the personal fanny pack that I keep hidden in the jack compartment.

• 72 hour kit
• Flashlight and batteries
• Fire extinguisher
• Jumper cables
• Seat belt cutter and window breaker (keep within reach)
• Water (bottles can go under the seats)
• Matches
• Gloves
• Tarps
• Garbage bags
• Wipes
• Maps
• Driving compass
• Rope and/or tow strap and bungee cords
• First aide kit (any medications)
• Siphon hose for water or gas (do not drink gas)
• Window washer/scraper
• Crowbar and other tools (hammer, saw, wrenches, duct tape, fuses, belts, and screws)
• Ax, bucket and shovel (this is required in some forests)
• Engine oil
• Gas can (keep it empty and unused unless you have a place for it on the outside of your car or truck)

Stuff you take if you have to Bug Out

This is stuff that is too heavy to carry in your 72 hour kit but something you can throw in your car (in addition to what is already there) quickly if you need to evacuate.  You might be able to take it in a garden cart if you can't drive but travel by roads is still safe.  Here is an example to help you make your own kit (or here).  Pack it in crates or duffle bags.  Here are some suggestions (what fits in your car will vary):

• More survival books or books on camping/country/simple living
• 5 gallon water cans (full)
• Food (cans and other heavy bulky items)
• Cooler (grab some ice and any travel friendly fresh items that are still good like cheese, peanut butter, apples, lemons, and bread)
• Large first aide kit
• Dutch oven
• Stove and fuel or barbeque, Kelly Kettle
• Lantern (Petromax is good but expensive)
• Unscented bleach
• Tent and large tarps, rugs
• Blanket and pillows (sleeping pad, hammock, or cot)
• Paper plates, utensils and cups
• Paper towels and wipes
• Foil
• Solar shower
• Bucket toilet (you can store garbage bags, toilet paper, wipes, and soap inside the bucket)
• Many garbage bags
• Laundry soap
• Clothes pins
• Soap and shampoo
• Ant traps and insecticides
• Fishing gear
• Radio and batteries
• Several extra fuel cans (enough to get to your destination without refueling)
• Propane heater with fuel
• Generator
• Small safe for guns and documents
• Bikes (on rack and with pump and tire repair kit)
• Frisbee or other games

First Aid and Medical Kits

Take a first aide class and more training if you can.  For supplies, the place to start is with a pre-made small portable first aide kit and a larger home or car first aide kit.  These are usually $10 to $20 on sale (but can be $100's if you want).   You can add items from your medicine cabinet and replace things like the cheap scissors that usually come with them. However, these usually are not good for much more than minor cuts and scrapes (going to a hospital/doctor may not be an option or may take a while—so do your best until you can get to one).  For more serious injuries you probably have to make your own kit.  The best book is Wilderness Medicine, by William W. Forgey.  His suggested kit in the back of the book is great (I learned the hard way I needed some of the items that he recommends and figure the other items are ones I may need in the future).  Amazon and Moore Medical have most of the items if you can't find them locally.  For the house or car first aide kit, I suggest a hard sided box like a tool box.  Dental care is also important.  A toothache is really distracting. A little dental kit like this could make you a lot more comfortable until you can see a dentist.

Other Kits

Make other kits as you see fit.  I have a kit that is mainly in case of terrorist attack (I live and work too close to a likely target).  I have Jane's Chem-Bio Handbook and what to do if a nuclear attack in imminent as well as Potassium Iodide (seven days), plastic sheeting, duct tape, Tyvek clothes coverings,  and a face mask (this is not as good as a gas mask but its what I have).  You can spread this to your other kits if you want.

Security
Protecting yourself from criminals is as natural as buying a fire extinguisher to put out fires (but more expensive).   Get fences, dead bolts, and lock your windows at night but if someone really wants to get in your home they will.  Police take an average of 11 minutes or more to respond to violent crimes 40 percent of the time (sometimes hours), under normal conditions. A lot can happen in 11 minutes and you are going to wait a lot longer in a crisis.  When someone is kicking in your door, it is too late to go buy a gun.  You are on your own.  Relying on the kindness of someone breaking into your home is not a good bet.

If you are a gun person, pick your own gun.  This advice if for those who don't own a gun or don't shoot.  I suggest a pistol, a rifle and a shotgun for every adult (check you local gun laws).  If I had to only have one gun it would be a shotgun because of their versatility.  A 20 gauge shotgun is more than enough for most purposes including home defense and has less recoil than a 12 gauge.  The Remington 870 is a great choice but many people also like Mossberg.  Take a class on using the shotgun for home defense.  For home defense ammo, I use bird shot.  This will not penetrate and stop a criminal as fast as buck shot but is also less likely to go through a wall and hurt an innocent person.  Make your own decision here based on who is in adjoining rooms and how close the neighbors are.  You can always load bird shot as the first few shells followed by buck shot (keep about 200 rounds on hand because it will be hard to buy in a crisis).  The only options I recommend are hearing protection, glasses, a cleaning kit, a sling (guns with slings don't get set down in bad places as much) and maybe a light or night sights.  I think the factory stocks are fine. 

Next on my list would be a .22.  The Ruger Single Six is a nice revolver that is convertible to either 22 LR or 22 magnum (This might be a better choice as the only gun for some people). Also get a holster for it.  Savage and CZ make bolt action rifles that are great bargains. A .22 is a little small for home defense (it is less likely to stop a criminal in his tracks) but a lot better than nothing.  It is also important to be comfortable with your gun and a .22 is fun to shoot so you are more likely to practice (.22 ammo is very cheap and you can get 1,000 rounds for about $20).  As soon as you are comfortable with the .22 and your budget allows, you should probably upgrade to a larger common caliber (.357 for a revolver, 9mm, .40 or .45 for an automatic pistol, 12 gauge for a shotgun, and .223, .308, 7.62x39, .30-30, or .30-06 for rifles).  Get a concealed weapon permit if your state allows them even if you don't plan on using it (carrying a gun).  Again, these take some time to get so you have to get one before you need it even if you think that will be never.  Also, the required classes are really great and focus mainly on when not to use a gun.  Almost any gun range will offer such a class (and many others that are worth it too).  In general, buying a used gun is fine (simple guns are very durable) but for the guns I recommend here, the premium for a new gun (gun store or some sporting good stores) will probably be less than $100 and probably worth it to avoid any mechanical issues to start with.

Learn the gun safety rules and locking up any guns not on your body is a good idea and a necessity if you have kids (or adults who act like kids) in your home.  For pistols you can get a cheap keyed safe for about $20 (also good for documents).  Then you have to hide the key where you can find it quickly but no one else can.  A combination safe is better but a lot more expensive (practice opening it in the dark).  For long guns you can get a locking cabinet for about $100 (some cases have a good lock and that is a good idea for taking with you in the car), put a lock on a closet, or get a real safe for about $1,000.  Trigger locks are generally a bad idea because you can accidentally pull the trigger when getting them on or off.

If you decide against a gun, at least get pepper spray, a baseball bat, or a flashlight.  A self-defense class would be good too (martial arts classes are good but take a long time to become practical). A bullet proof vest and helmet would be good but neither is inexpensive.  Finally, there is safety in numbers.  Staying with family and friends during a crisis is a good idea if resources and space allow.

First Steps

1. Buy some unscented bleach and start storing water.
2. Start accumulating food and other supplies.  Initially, just buy more of the food that you already buy that stores well.  Re-pack as necessary.  Get some food grade buckets or plastic crates and find a cool dark place.
3. Start reading more about the risks that you face personally and ways to deal with them.  What is your plan to deal with each?
4. Organize your stuff into personal mini kits, personal fanny packs (or vests), one or more 72 hour kits for each person for each location they spend time, a car kit, a bug out kit, and your house stash.
5. Practice.  This doesn't have to be a military style exercise.  Try camping and living without power and running water (in your backyard to start with).  Load your car with what you think you would want to take if you had to evacuate.  How long did it take?  Did it all fit?  Try driving back roads to get out of town.  Go hiking with your 72 hour kit. 
6. Periodically take an inventory and revise your plans.

Books and other sources (in order of relevance and grouped)

Online Resources

SurvivalBlog (the best daily variety of all types of information at a good price too)

Alpha Rubicon (The "Mythbusters" of the survival world. Membership required for most information, great information and more personalities than members)

 

Non-fiction

• It's a Disaster! ...And What Are YOU Gonna Do About It? by Bill Liebsch, Janet Liebsch
• Wilderness Medicine, by William W. Forgey (a similar but slightly less relevant online book is Where there is no doctor (ignore the socialist ramblings))
• Basic Essentials Camping, by Cliff Jacobson  (He has other good books too)
• Backwoods Home Magazine
• The Encyclopedia of Country Living
• Homesteading      
• U.S. Army Survival  (Costco was selling this for $10)
• SAS Survival Handbook, by John Wiseman
• The Essential Wilderness Navigator
• Survival Simulator
• Survival: The Last Laugh by Ron Hood (first 5 chapters online)
• Make Your Own Groceries
• How to Survive Library
• The Merck Manual of Medical Information
• Physicians' Desk Reference
• Tactical Pistol Marksmanship by Gabriel Suarez (He has some legal problems but this is a great first book for shooting)
• Survival Notes, Melbo

Fiction
Some of these are a bit far fetched and depressing (worst case) and mainly about TEOTWAWKI  (sing “It's The End of The World as We Know It, and I feel fine" ) (they are fiction) but still give some good food for thought.

• Earth Abides
• Lucifer's Hammer
• Patriots by James Wesley Rawles
• Lights Out
• Alas Babylon
• The Rift
• Hatchet
• My Side of the Mountain
• Tunnel in the Sky
• The Edge
• Cast Away

Author's web site: www.PrepareOrDie.com

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Thursday January 3 2008

Sources for Free Survival and Preparedness Information on the Internet, by K.L. in Alaska

Recent comments in SurvivalBlog provided excellent advice on using the public library. You can gain lots of knowledge with no expense, then purchase only those books you want to keep on hand for personal reference. Also, many colleges and universities loan to local residents, so you can use them too, even if you aren't a student.

If your local libraries participate, a great resource is Worldcat. It lets you search for books from home, then go check them out, or get them through interlibrary loan.

What will happen to the Internet when the SHTF? There's no guarantee it will survive. Even if the World Wide Web endures in some form, most of the individual computers connected to it will not. Hopefully by then you will have already downloaded all the free info that's going to help you cope with the new world.

You may want to download a copy of information on this web site or any other web site with useful content. It would be a shame to face some disaster when all the resources of the internet are no longer at your fingertips.

 In preparation for a worst case scenario, it's a good idea to begin now to collect the knowledge that will come in handy later. You can download whole books, save them to jump drives, and keep an entire library in a very small space. All kinds of free manuals, guides, tech tips, and schematics are available on the internet; for everything from firearms to furnaces to computers to appliances.

All of the downloads listed here are in the public domain or allowable for copying. Stay away from sites that may involve copyright infringement. If you use a file-sharing site such as Limewire, Kazaa, or any site that uses bit torrents, you are not only downloading, but also uploading. Your participation involves automatically uploading to other users. If the file is illegal, you are distributing illegal material, not just downloading it. Stay away from these and stick with the legitimate sites listed below.

Keep in mind that some of this information you download might be illegal to use at the present time. You can't practice dentistry on your neighbor just because you have the book. Nevertheless, you have the right to possess this very vital information. After TEOTWAWKI, all bets are off. The information you collect today might save your life or the life of somebody you love.

Many downloads are in Portable Document Format (PDF) form, so to read them you must have a suitable program such as Adobe Reader, which is the free version of Adobe Acrobat. There are alternatives to Adobe that can read PDF files, if you prefer. Some of these files are very large. If your internet connection is slow, it's better to right click and download rather than try to read a huge file online.

Some documents you may want to print out. Others you can just leave on disc. Just be sure to store your drives safely. Not included in this list are the many web sites that are very good resources in themselves. Rather, these are the files you can download for offline viewing at a later time. Download them while you still can!

Project Gutenberg was mentioned as a good place to go for eBooks.

The Smithsonian Institution is another great resource. They have digitized many older books, maps, and documents in their collection.

Wikisource has a nice collection of free eBooks.

One way to search for books no longer in copyright is to use Google Book Search. Check "full view." If it comes up in the search, it can be downloaded as a PDF file.

A good alternative to Google is the Internet Archive which includes books, images, audio, and more. The Internet Archive also hosts the Wayback Machine, which archives copies of an incredible 85 billion pages from the internet of years past.

Over 100,000 free eBooks can be accessed through Digital Book Index

2020ok is a directory of free online books and free eBooks

The British Columbia Digital Library has an impressive Collection, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and most importantly, the Holy Bible. It also has a Guide to other digital libraries.

Scribd is an online document library of free research articles, eBooks, and other content.

A great resource for home schoolers is the Internet's largest directory of free audio & video learning resources maintained by LearnOutLoud.com.

Check out the postings of Home Schooling On-line Resources on the The Mental Militia Forums, as well as the "Must Have" Books/reference material topic.

More than 3,200 pages related to the U. S. Constitution can be downloaded from The Founders' Constitution

Firearms For any firearm you own or plan to own, you should have a drawing of its Exploded View, which will help identify parts and how they fit together. One of the most comprehensive collections of Exploded Views is the paper edition of the Numrich Arms Catalog, which in itself is a gold mine of information and very inexpensive for a volume of over 1200 pages.

But if you only need certain Exploded Views, there are many places on the internet where you can download them for free:

Gunuts is a good place to start with hundreds of drawings. Another source is The Okie Gunsmith Shop, which is apparently no longer operating, but you can still download drawings and parts lists from its web site.Big Bear Gun Works has another good list. For pre-WWII firearms, check out Gunsworld. For examples of specific firearms manufacturers, see Remington, Browning, and SKB Shotguns

The book, The Defensive Use Of Firearms by Shane C. Henry is available as a download from rec.guns. An enormous amount of additional gun information is available on the rec.guns web site.

There are several good sources for Military Publications: GlobalSecurity.org has a huge collection of Military manuals.

Try Integrated Publishing for access to millions of pages of engineering manuals and documents.

The U.S. Army Materiel Command maintains the LOGSA web site for access to thousands of Army technical manuals.

The U.S. Air Force maintains the Air Force e-Publishing web site.

As mentioned recently, The Small Wars Journal has a Reference Library of downloadable military documents.

The Brooke Clarke web site has a good guide to accessing military field manuals

Surviving War and Nuclear Attack For a basic guide, download How To Survive A Chemical Or Biological Attack.

Nuclear War Survival Skills, along with some other very interesting books, can be found on the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine web site. This book includes plans for the Kearny Fallout Radiation Meter (KFM). If you have not bought a radiation meter, you should at least download the book for future reference. You can also get the Free Plans from The Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nuclear War Survival Skills is also available on the KI4U web site as an online book, but not as a download.

The Equipped To Survive web site has some free ebooks, as well as books for sale: Survival, Evasion, and Recovery and U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76.

The Volunteer Center of Marin County, California has prepared A Guide to Organizing Neighborhoods for Preparedness, Response and Recovery which you can copy from their web site. 

Medical Resources The Disease Net has a library of downloadable manuals on survival, weapons, emergency medicine, and less serious subjects.

Virtual Naval Hospital is a digital library of naval, military, and humanitarian medicine

The very important field manual, First Aid For Soldiers FM 21-11 can be downloaded here.

One of the best medical handbooks available is the U.S. Army Special Forces Medical Handbook ST31-91B. It can be downloaded free (as well as additional essential guides) from Delta Gear, Inc.

A newer version of the Medical Handbook, plus more great material can be downloaded from NH-TEMS (New Hampshire Tactical Emergency medical support).

The American Red Cross has some of their disaster guides online for download. For most of their material, you have to go to the local office. Some of it can be copied from the Earth Changes Media Survival Tips page. 

The Red Cross Book, First Aid in Armed Conflicts and Other Situations of Violence

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency book, The Ship Captain's Medical Guide

Hesperian makes available free downloads of its books for medical treatment in primitive conditions. Two highly respected guides it publishes are Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist.

Here is a direct link to the must-have book Survival and Austere Medicine: An introduction. Australian Survivalist Online has several additional Files for downloading.

The Department of Agriculture has a treasure trove of information for free download. This agency maintains The National Agricultural Library, a collection of free information on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, and other related subjects.

Another USDA web site is the Cooperative Extension Service. Click on the map to navigate to various Extension offices around the country. Don't limit your search to just your own state. Many of them have invaluable information on animals, crops, construction, food preparation and much more for free download.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) offers downloads about preventing plant and animal diseases, among other topics.

The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) offers Fact Sheets about food handling and preparation, and emergency preparedness.

Other Important Reference Resources The classic outdoor guides, The 10 Bushcraft Books by Richard Graves are available on the Chris Molloy web site. Free manuals for electronic equipment can be downloaded from eServiceInfo.com. Another source is UsersManualGuide.com. For Ham Radio and Test Equipment Manuals, the KO4BB web site has Free Downloads, as well as LINKS to many other web sites with free downloads. A few examples of repair information for outdoor equipment are Penn Reel Schematics, and Mercury outboard parts.

Paid Services In the unlikely event that you can't find free information on the Net to fix that generator or whatever you need to repair, there are web sites that charge for information. As a last resort, you can check Sam's PHOTOFACT service manuals, or RepairManual.com. Hopefully, that won't be necessary.

The foregoing just begins to scratch the surface. Some of these free downloads are also available as books or CDs from eBay, Amazon or from some of the survivalist web sites. That is fine. Sometimes it is easier to just pay the money and buy the book. But nobody can afford it all, and downloading gives you access to millions of pages - much more knowledge than you could acquire through any other method.

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Monday December 24 2007

Letter Re: Retreat Security--Lessons Learned from the Rhodesian Experience

Jim:
After giving it some thought [to post-TEOTWAWKI retreat security], I think we need to study many of the homestead/farmstead fortifications used during the [late 1970s] Rhodesian Bush War and to a certain extend in rural South Africa in the present day. Of course, one would need to adjust for legalities so one would not be breaking any laws. - Lame Wolf
[JWR Adds: Lame Wolf also sent us a great quote from a letter by "Rhodesian" that was first posted at the Small Wars Journal (SWJ) web site. BTW I recommend the SWJ site--in particular their Reference Library pages--as a research tool for anyone seeking insight on retreat security and living in turbulent times.]:

Rhodesian Farmers Defensive Arrangements
At every farm, defensive arrangements were made up to suit their particular situation and infrastructure. The following would be a general overview:

1) Most farmers fitted hand-grenade grills to the outside of all windows. Doors leading outside were likewise security grilled.

2) Many farmers built thick walls about a meter in front of bedroom windows to stop bullets, but particularly to deal with RPG-7s. Beds were never placed against the outside walls of a farmhouse.

3) It was usual to have a designated safe room within the farmhouse that could be defended until support arrived. Sometimes this was a central corridor that allowed the farmer to move into other rooms to attack those outside through the windows. In the loft or ceiling over the safe room, some farmers laid sand bags to deal with possible mortar attack.

4) Every farmhouse in a given area was linked by a radio system called “Agric Alert”. This allowed radio contact with other farmers who formed their own defence units, usually under the umbrella of PATU (Police Anti-Terrorist Unit), which would react to a call from one of their neighbours for assistance. Another means of alarm raising was the use of a signal rocket - The Agric-Alert system was not done away with after the war, such was the lack of trust in Mugabe`s promises. It performed admirably as well when dealing with criminal activity such as stock theft. The alert system arranged for all farmers to check in with each other at a given time in the morning and evening as a means of monitoring their status.

5) Around all farmhouse gardens were erected security fences with barbed wire (or razor wire) and which often had simple alarm systems built into them. Some I believe were electrified, if not before the end of the war, certainly afterwards. Within the fence boundary, every farmer usually had a couple of large dogs. The dogs were fed their largest meal in the morning instead of the evening, in order to help keep them awake at night. Other farmers had geese or ducks, which made excellent guard “dogs.” Gardens were kept deliberately trim so as to keep clear fields of view and fire etc. The farm houses also had outside flood lighting erected in such a way as to blind those outside the fence, but not to interfere with the vision of those within the farmhouse.

6) All farmers and their wives were armed with an assortment of weapons, and most farmers were trained military men. They had at least one assault rifle, usually an FAL 7.62, assorted shot guns, .303 hunting rifles and so forth. It was also not unusual for wives to carry Uzi`s around with them, or other equivalents such as the Rhodesian Cobra. All members of the family were trained on the various weaponry available to them, including the kids. In one famous incident a child successfully fought off the attacking terrorists after both of his parents were wounded. The main defensive weapons were at all times within immediate reach of the adult farmhouse occupants, and were placed next to the bed at night.

7) Some farmers used mine protected vehicles, as a favourite of terrorists was to landmine the driveway outside the fence. A great deal of time was spent looking at the dirt roads for freshly dug earth points and so forth when driving around the farm.

8) Some farm gardens and particular points external to the fence were wired with home-made claymore like devices strategically placed in areas where attackers were likely to take cover. In a few instances farmers deliberately erected “cover positions” for the terrorists to use outside the fence, which were then blown up upon attack. A particular favourite was a section of plastic piping filled with nails, nuts, bolts, screws and so forth. I witnessed tests with these and the tubes cleared large areas of their intended aiming point of all bush cover and leaves from trees etc for about 30 meters into the bush. By placing a number of figure 8`s in front of these tests, it was apparent from the strike patterns that not one of them would have walked again had they been terrorists.

9) Some farmers also hired soldiers on leave to guard their premises at night. Usually these were men looking for extra beer money. They were called Bright Lights [referring to the bright lights of Salisbury, the nation's capitol, since most of these were "city boys"], and often ended up in fire fights with the terrorists, where they came as a nasty surprise to the terrs when the latter were expecting a nice soft hit and run. Like all farmers in an area, Bright Lights would participate in the support of other farmers when the situation required.

10) Good relationships with farm labour, particularly the house staff, very often warned of problems before they occurred. All of us who grew up in the country have fond memories of those employees who took care of us as kids, and who often placed themselves at great risk for doing so.

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Sunday December 23 2007

Letter Re: Coleman Fuel--Uses and Storage Life

Hi Jim,
According to Coleman's web site, Coleman fuel can be stored for 5 to 7 years. I wondered if a chainsaw with the correct oil additive run on Coleman fuel. So I did a web search, and this is what I found, over at the Timebomb 2000 (Y2K) Discussion Forums, posted back in 1998] - E.L.:

Coleman Fuel the Final Word!
Boy What did I start? I have seen more rumors and half truths about Coleman fuel since I posted that it did work on engines!! Coleman fuel is a very highly refined version of gasoline! It has no additives in it. It comes in sealed metal cans and it stores at least five years if you keep it cool and leave it alone til you use it! It will work in all gasoline engines! You mix oil in 2 cycle [engine]s so that is not a problem. In 4 cycle add 1/2 to 1 oz of ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil per gallon of fuel to provide top cylinder lube. If you want to go one step further get some lead substitute for the old regular burning engines. Okay?

Now I am going to provide you with a very basic primer on how oil and fuel relate to the cracking (refining) tower. crude oil in:[the] lowest [fractioning] levels give you motor oils then fuel oils. Here is how it is,, [from] top to bottom:
LPG (Much more done to refine but you get the idea), white gasoline, Racing gas, Avgas, Gasoline, K1 kerosene, kerosene fuel oil, #1 fuel oil, #2 fuel oil, #3 fuel oil, # 4 motor oils. Okay, now there are many other products made at various levels and many other additives are introduced to provide the end products we use but this gives you an Idea as to how the various fuels relate.
Now if you want to store some Coleman fuel for emergency use, then go ahead, do it! If it burns gas it will burn Coleman! But if you want to use it try it now! Don't wait to see if it will work, don't post over and over and over.Try it out for yourself!!! But don't plan on it being your primary fuel. You can't possibly store enough [in one gallon cans] to run generators on it. Most of you have no clue as to how much fuel a gasoline generator really uses. Running a typical gas generator would run you at least 5 gallons per day, every day, assuming you only ran it 5-6 hours per day! Do the math! Store 20 gallons [of Coleman fuel] for your chainsaw. Another 10 for the log splitter. But that's about it. if you need to use some for another reason for a short term use go ahead! But if your looking for long term continuous use get a diesel car, truck, generator, or whatever. - Rich H.

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Saturday December 8 2007

Your Life in Your Pocket by John T.

A significant part of being prepared and being able to weather a crisis is having information. Remember, those in charge now will make it their first priority after TSHTF to return to the status quo. Banks and mortgage companies will do everything possible to continue banking and lending. Landlords will do whatever it takes to make sure they continue to collect rent from their tenants, and any police or military personnel you come into contact with will be very unhappy if you cannot prove who you are or otherwise deflect suspicion.
You can call having critical information available during and after a crisis "life continuity." There are three aspects to it: collection, protection, and dispersion.

The first step is collection. Just as with other aspects of your survival plan, you'll want to make a list of the information you want to collect and have available during and after a crisis. Such a list should include:
- medical information and records for all family members
- names, addresses, and contact numbers of relatives, doctors and insurance companies
- copies of wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, and other legal documents
- copies of insurance policies
- copies of birth certificates, wedding licenses, children's school records, and college transcripts
- copies of property ownership documents, such as mortgage agreements and property deeds
- copies of driver licenses and passports
- e-books or scanned pages from knowledge materials you've collected
- as many family photos as you feel you need, but at a minimum make sure there is a clear "head shot" of everyone in your family that can be used by authorities if needed to conduct a search
- video taped walk-throughs of your house and property showing major purchases and valuables and the condition of any buildings
While some of the items above might seem like overkill, it is important to remember that you can never have enough supporting documentation if you ever need to prove your case or prove your identity. Imagine bugging out of your home and going to your retreat for three months, only to return to your home after the all clear to find it occupied by squatters. Will you be able to prove the house is yours? If your insurance company denies your claim, will you have the materials ready to counter their argument in your appeal?
Once you've collected the documents and photos, the next step is protection. At a minimum, you'll want to have a fireproof box or safe to hold your documents. Even better, get a box or safe that is waterproof as well. For example, Sentry makes a small waterproof and fireproof lockbox for well under $100. You might even be able to pick one up for much less at a garage sale or flea market. Put your safe in an obscure location in your home, and use any supplied mounting hardware to mount the safe to the floor or wall to prevent thieves from simply lifting it up and walking away with it. Avoid any safe or lockbox that requires power to operate, such as batteries or a wall plug. This includes the fancy safes with biometric access mechanisms. You don't need Fort Knox; you just need to be reasonably protected. If you can't afford a lockbox or safe, at least put your document stash into a large Ziploc bag and put it somewhere safe. You could put it into a locking file cabinet or even put it into a five-gallon pail and bury it.

Dispersion is another key element to protecting your information stash. Make copies of everything and mail a set to your lawyer and a couple sets to trusted family members. Mailing a set to family outside of your region is an especially good idea. For example, if you live in the Midwest, you would want to send a copy to someone on the east coast or perhaps out west. Use a service with a tracking number that requires a signature so that you can be sure the documents arrive at their location. Even better is to scan everything into an electronic format. PDF is best, as it can be read on just about any computer. Take the electronic copies and write them to a CD or DVD, also known as "burning to disk" since the CD/DVD drive's laser actually burns information into the disk. CD and DVD writers are very cheap nowadays, on the order of $20-$30 for a brand new unit and a few dollars for the disk media. Keep a couple copies along with your paper (hard) copies, and send out a DVD to your family members instead of a large pack of documents.

Some people also keep electronic copies of their important documents on USB keys. USB keys are also known as "thumb drives" because of their size. Any computer with a USB port can access a USB key as if it was a hard drive. Keep in mind, though, that a USB key is electronic and will be susceptible to anything that would damage electronics such as a magnetic field. While it might not seem like a good idea to keep important info on something that could end up damaged, the point is to analyze the trade-off between convenience and accessibility without hurting reliability. If you have hard copies of everything, then using something as convenient as a USB key might be an advantage. For example, you could hook the USB key to your belt and walk into a disaster relief shelter to use the computer there instead of walking around with a big pack of important papers.

If you choose to make electronic copies of your information, you will want to encrypt everything and make sure to use innocent-sounding labels. Imagine sending a DVD labeled "Our Family's Important Information" to someone on the other side of the country. If that DVD were to fall into the wrong hands, those people would have everything they needed to steal your identity. Instead, label the CD or DVD something like "Our Family Vacation 2006" where "2006" is the year that the DVD was made. That way you will know which is the most recent.

Encrypting your information sounds difficult, but it is actually pretty easy. The only downside is that you will need a computer to decrypt the information once it is encrypted. There are numerous free and open encryption programs available at no charge. My favorite is called TrueCrypt. How it works is beyond the scope of this article, but it is safe to say that if you encrypt your information with TrueCrypt, it would take all the computers in the world several hundreds of years to crack it. TrueCrypt runs on Windows computers only, but similar applications are available for Mac OS X and Linux.
If you are technically savvy and really want to take your USB key to the next level, you can install a complete operating system onto the USB key itself. An example would be PenDrive Linux or Damn Small Linux. Damn Small Linux is only 50 MB in size! With the OS right on your USB key, you could keep all your information encrypted and never have to worry about what type of computer you would need to decrypt and view your information.

Many people focus on the tangible aspects of being prepared. Beans, bandages and bullets are important, but so are intangibles like information. With a small amount of effort and little to no expenses, you can make sure all the information your family might need to survive, regroup, and move on is protected and in an easily-accessible and safe location.

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Friday June 15 2007

Disaster Proof Your Home, by "Decay"

In today’s survival forums much emphasis is placed on issues such as Bug Out Bags (BOBs), Main Battle Rifles, or Bug Out Vehicles (BOVs) These are important but I feel that it is critical that we also remember to return to the basics in an emergency situation. It was through my neighborhood Emergency Training program that I was reminded how fragile our homes, apartments, and neighborhoods can be during and after a disaster. Before flooding, hurricanes, tornados, famine, pestilence, plague, war or martial law. You and your family should get prepared so that you will be ready for anything that rolls down the pipe! The basic eight in your home are: gas & propane, water, structure, communication, light, food, and first aid.

WATER & NATURAL GAS/PROPANE: A four-in-one tool can be used to shut off gas and water lines, turn off main lines to your home/apartment. Water heaters should be strapped to the nearest wall, in case of an earthquake. By shutting off your water, you will not waste water pressure to the fire hydrants.

ELECTRIC: Get familiar with the location of your main power switch so that you can turn off all of the power to your home in the case of emergency. Remember that the power company will be receiving thousands of service requests during an emergency and will not be available to respond quickly to them. By knowing how to turn off the power quickly you will reduce the risk of electrocution and fire in your home.

STRUCTURE:

• If your domicile is damaged beyond repair and is not livable, have a tent or Geodesic dome handy where your family can live until a new structure can be rebuilt.
• If you live in area that is prone to wildfires, you will need a 100 yard radius around you home that is limits flammable materials, including shrubbery and trees. [See: this site on "defensive space" for your property.]
• Sand bags are important for flood prone areas, and be used as a safe room, bunker, or to cover windows to stop incoming rounds. Single stacked sand bags will stop 7.62x51 [NATO] rounds.
• Chainsaws will be handy for cutting down branches/trees after a windstorm, ice storm, tornado or hurricane.
• Heavy curtains placed over windows will help protect you and your family from falling glass in earthquake prone areas.
• Installing anti-tilt brackets on furniture and bookshelves will also prevent injury from falling objects.
• Constructing a concrete storm shelter will keep your family alive in hurricane and tornado prone areas. It should be below ground level and connect to your house basement, if possible. Food, water, blankets, first aid kits and cots should be stored in in the basement.

COMMUNICATION: Battery-powered SW/AM/FM/Weather band radio. Store it without the batteries installed. [Store your radio in a metal ammo can] in case of EMP.

LIGHT: Small flashlights next to every family member's nightstand will help guide them around or out of the house in a power outage or disaster. Also remember to keep a flashlight next to the power junction box to replace blown fuses.

FIRST AID: Two first aid kits should be available in the home. One can be kept in the home and the other should be in your jump kit or backpack to take with you in the case of evacuation. These kits should be organized and easy to find so that first aid items can be accessed and used quickly. Check and refill your kits on a yearly basis. Burn gels, Betadine and other creams and dry out and over-the-counter pain killers will expire. Remember to have a three month supply on prescription drugs in both kits.

FOOD: Last but not least, it is important to remember that we need to build our food pantries so that in the case of emergency we have enough food to survive for at least two months. This includes storing good drinking water that is safe from contamination.

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Monday June 4 2007

SurvivalBlog Reader Poll: What is Your Profession?

I'm amazed at the wide variety of people that read SurvivalBlog. I"m starting a new poll: in seven words or less, tell us you profession, (via e-mail) and I will post an anonymous list. For any of you that are doctors, lawyers, or engineers, and so forth please state your specialty. If you have two (or more) vocations, please state the both with a slash in between. (Such as "neurosurgeon / musician.")

As standard policy, unless specifically given permission I remove people's names, titles, e-mail addresses, company names, and other identifiers from letters before I post them. Without mentioning any names, let me briefly summarize some the more notable readers that I already know about: NASA scientists, Lawrence National Laboratories physicists, pharmacists, doctors in various specialties, Hollywood actors, foundry workers, novelists, a rock-'n- roll musician, dojo masters, current and former military intelligence officers, NSA intelligence analysts, stock analysts, derivatives traders, aircraft mechanics, an astronaut, beekeepers, military and civilian pilots (lots!), submariners, an underwater welder, veterinarians--including one that is also an attorney, a prototype automobile modeler in Detroit, real estate agents, truckers, organic farmers, a mushroom farmer, two fish farmers, research chemists, an underwater photographer, U.S. Army Special Forces officers and NCOs, Navy SEALs, petroleum engineers, umpteen electrical and computer engineers, and dozens of police officers, paramedics, and firemen. I'll be interested to see what a more complete list looks like!

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Monday May 7 2007

Fuel Storage for Survival Retreats, by Flighter

The world runs on petroleum. Imagine a post-apocalyptic period when the local gas station is closed, and has been for two years. How will you carry out your daily activities? Generate electricity? Pump water? Plow your garden, or fields? All of these can be done by hand, and have been for thousands of years. Modern life has given us tools to help with these chores, and we can store the tools, and the food for them, for quite awhile. Gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, Coleman® fuel, and other petroleum products – all can be stored.
For long term survival purposes, only one vehicle fuel is worth talking about: Diesel.
Why pick diesel fuel? Simply, because it stores so much better than gasoline. It offers better mileage in similar vehicles than gasoline would (so you get more bang for the storage volume).
Diesel engines are inherently more reliable and getting 200K miles or more from a diesel engine isn’t at all unusual. For example: our daily driver car is a 1982 Mercedes 300D Turbo, that has almost 400K miles on it. The only maintenance the engine has gotten (besides fuel and oil filters) is cleaning the fuel injectors (a simple, DIY job) and the injector pump has been rebuilt and timed. The transmission did have to be rebuilt at around 300K miles, I’m not sure why.
Diesel fuel is also far safer to store than gasoline is. It rarely forms explosive vapors like gasoline will, and it has a knack of finding any pinhole or loose fitting to leak out of, so you can find the leaks and stop them before they get bad.
It’s also possible to make your own diesel fuel from waste cooking oil (like from a restaurant), or oil from crops like soybeans, that you might be able to grow yourself. The process of making biodiesel isn’t hard, you just need some equipment and inexpensive chemicals on hand.
For those who live in areas where homes are still heated with heating oil, you can use that (or farm [untaxed off-road] diesel) in your vehicles in an emergency. Don’t use it in a road vehicle until it is an emergency, or you can get into tax troubles. If you’re planning on scavenging for heating oil, a 12 VDC electric pump, with a good filter (like another diesel engine fuel filter) on the discharge side into your storage containers. Water and fungus will grow in poorly maintained (heating oil) tanks and gum up your engine. Filters are relatively cheap now, get them and store them.
Unfortunately, diesel engines have to be heavy, so they don’t lend themselves to smaller engines like for chainsaws, or similar appliances. About the smallest sized diesel generator is 2Kva, too and it’s not easily portable. So, in addition to diesel, it may be necessary to store gasoline (and maybe kerosene) as well.
Storing fuel:
Whatever kind of fuel you want to store, it’s best to check and find out the local (town, county, state) laws on storing fuel. Environmental concerns these days make it hard to store legally, so it’s best to find out what you can legally do before the state moves in and does an ‘environmental cleanup’ that you will have to pay for. These cleanups routinely exceed 5 figures in cost, and unless you specifically have insurance for it, your insurance probably won’t cover it. For these reasons, storing fuel above ground is usually easier than in below ground tanks. When I decided to get a large tank for diesel, I purchased a surplus airport refueling vehicle with a 5,000 gallon tank, rather than try and get a permit for a 5,000 gallon tank. Also, you should check with your insurance carrier to see if there are any limitations on the quantity of fuel you can store.
Storing fuel in any quantity can be dangerous, and should be done safely. If you don’t have a detached structure to store fuel in, I’d recommend not storing any in the house – get a garden shed or something. We have a fenced-in area (about the size of a dog run) with a simple roof of corrugated metal, to keep the worst of the sun and weather off the cans. Paint your above ground tanks white to help keep them cool in the summer, and reduce evaporative loss. The tanks should also have seals that are in good condition, to avoid water from rainstorms getting in.
And since fuel is flammable, keep a couple of big fire extinguishers nearby (but not in) where you keep the fuel. I’d suggest at least two, 20 lb dry chemical extinguishers, with a rating of at least 60B:C. These are not the usual type of home fire extinguishers, which are too small for the quantities of fuel that might be involved.
Whatever you store, you need to make sure that it’s stabilized for long term use. There are at least two products to stabilize fuel, one called “Sta-bil” and another called “Pri-“, with different versions for gasoline and diesel fuel. Most people consider the Pri- products to be superior, [but] the Sta-bil is easier to find. I’d recommend getting a supply of Pri on hand. In addition to stabilizing diesel fuel for long term use, it works pretty well at restoring old, non-stabilized diesel fuel. See the PRI Products and Sta-Bil web sites.

All fuel (gas, diesel, jet, whatever) will collect water in the tanks, from condensation. The water will allow bacteria and fungus to grow, if not kept in check. Pri (and others) make a bactericide that you can use to keep the bacteria from growing. Stock up on it, too.
Whatever fuel you store, you should have different sizes of containers of them – I keep 2-1/2, and 5 gallon fuel cans, 55 gallon steel drums (filled only to 50 gallons), and larger tanks. The assortment of sizes lets me move fuel in the quantities I need, or to share. The steel containers need to be grounded while they’re in storage, to prevent a stray static electrical spark from causing an explosion. I also keep the smaller containers up off the ground by using wooden pallets, to help cut down on rust. I wind up cleaning and painting a few every year, to keep them from rusting too badly.
All of our vehicles are diesel powered. The only gasoline requirements we have are for things like chainsaws, and for ATVs and snowmobiles. We store liquid fuels in a variety of containers, including 55-gallon drums (filled to only 50 gallons for gas, 52 for diesel, because fuel will expand when it warms up, in a couple of farm tanks (medium sized tanks on stands), 5 gallon military fuel cans, plastic fuel cans, 5-gallon metal square cans (which store better than the round ones), almost any kind of container that’s intended for fuel will do. It’s easier to refill the chain saws and similar tools from smaller containers than the large ones, and it’s not too hard to refill the 2-1/2 gallon containers from the 5 gallon cans, or the large farm tank, or at the gas station. The stored fuel gets stabilized when we refill the big tank, and once a year, with Pri.
To move all that fuel around, I have two AC electrical pumps, two DC electrical pumps, and two hand pumps. The AC electrical pumps are explosion proof, and are connected to the farm tanks with a water separator/filter on the discharge hose. The hose has a nozzle just like at the gas station, and we have some drip pans (made out of the cut-off ends of steel drums) to catch anything that drips. We don’t have a meter, we keep track of about how much we pump on a log sheet. The DC pumps connect to the vehicle batteries, and can be used to move fuel from any source to any tank, and have strainers and filters on them. One is for gas, and one for diesel, of course.
For the fuel drums, you should get a legitimate bung wrench to safely remove and replace the bungs (hole caps). These aren’t too expensive, and handle both sizes (large and small). [They are available from Northern Tool & Equipment.] You can get by with regular hand tools but it’s harder, and you can damage the drum. You should either keep the drums stored on their sides (with the bungs horizontal), or at the very least keep a cover on top of the end of the drum (there are made from plastic specifically for this purpose) to keep water from pooling on the top from rain, which will get sucked into even a sealed drum (through the bung).
Once you have drums, or large tanks, how do you fill them? There are a couple of ways, you can buy fuel at the gas station in 5 gallon containers and transfer them, or you can put a drum in the back of your pickup truck and fill it at the gas station. I have found that if you can find a commercial fuel distributor they will deliver, if you order more than a few hundred gallons. They send out a smaller fuel truck (not a semi) and charge you about the going price for fuel. Once you have a very large tank (for the farm/ranch, you know) you can get a good discount. I paid about 20% less than the going price to fill my large diesel tank. In order to do this, however, you have to have a good enough driveway and access for the truck to get to the tanks.
Finally, there’s one more way to get fuel: If you have a large tank in your truck, you can fill it up at the gas station, and pump it out at home. Repeat as necessary. The advantage with this is that nobody will know that you have fuel storage at home, the downside is the cost, because you will be paying top dollar for the fuel. And, you have to switch around to different gas stations, going into the same station every day for a week and buying 75 or 100 gallons of fuel might make someone suspicious.
The farm tanks, explosion proof pumps, hoses, nozzles, fuel filters, bung wrenches, and all the rest of the specialty equipment I mention is commonly available from farm supply places, home centers, or industrial supply companies. One good company to deal with is Northern Tool & Equipment
How to ground large tanks:
First of all, you need a good ground point. The easiest way to ground is to buy a copper-clad steel grounding rod at the home center, they’re usually 8’ long. You pick a location (near your fuel storage area, which of course should be away from anything that might burn) and drive it into the ground, all the way (start on a ladder, obviously). All it takes is time and a big hammer.
The grounding cables can be made out of old welding cables, large gauge wire (at least 4 AWG, anything else will break pretty quickly, and won’t withstand a lightning strike), or what the military uses for grounding drums, 3/16” diameter, nylon or plastic coated stainless steel cable, available at the home center or farm supply.
Attach the grounding cable to the grounding rod with a permanent clamp, and then with alligator or battery clips, get clipped onto each metal container, on bare metal. It’s okay to have more than one clamp on a cable, just make sure (with an ohm meter, available for under $10 at Radio Shack) that you have less than a couple (3-4 ohms) resistance from the furthest end of the cable to the grounding rod. If your resistance is more than that, clean off the connections of all the wire pieces and try again.
NOTE: It’s not a good idea to use your home grounding point for the fuel ground, first of all it’s probably too close to the house, and secondly you can get into issues with ground loop currents and other violations of the National Electrical Code – not a law, just a good idea (usually) to follow.
Wood
If you have a fireplace, or wood burning stoves (either for cooking, or warmth), you’ll need wood. You can cut your own, or buy it, or both. By the way, I don’t recommend reliance on a pellet or corn stove. They require power, and pellets (or corn), and unless you can grow enough corn to feed them, they’re just unreliable. Even if you can grow enough corn, they still require power.
Buying wood (rather than cutting it yourself) has some advantages. You don’t have to do the work, for one. Cutting and splitting wood, then stacking it to dry, then stacking it again when dry, and moving it, all are a workout. When you buy it you can usually get it stacked where you want (perhaps for a small extra fee).
At any rate, you should store the wood under cover, to help keep it dry. A pile of wood with a blue plastic tarp over it isn’t going to stay dry long. The tarp will rip in the first breeze, and they don’t last long exposed to sunlight. If possible, build a wood shed or lean-to that’s near where you will need the wood so you don’t have to haul it too far. It doesn’t have to be completely weather-tight, but if possible it should have a concrete or rock foundation, and enough on the sides and top to keep the wood mostly dry. Your wood storage shouldn’t be attached to the house, insects will be in the stored wood, and you don’t want them attacking your house.
How much wood to store depends on how much you use a winter, how much room you have, and how much you want to store. The type of wood matters too, each type of wood has different energy values. Use what you can get. We have a very energy efficient house, and only use about two cords a year. A cord is a pile of split wood that’s 4 feet high and wide, and 8 feet long. The wood in the pile is supposed to be stacked "loose enough for a rat to run through, but not so loose that the cat chasing it can."
Oftentimes vendors will try and sell you a pile that’s 4x8’, but only of 16” (or smaller) pieces, this is not a real cord; sometimes it’s called a ‘face’ cord. Adjust the price accordingly, and shop around. I like to keep at least two years supply of wood on hand (to allow for an especially bad winter, and since we have a wood cook stove that we could use in the kitchen, to feed it). In reality, I have about 10 cords of wood on hand right now, in three sheds. Since the price doesn’t seem to go down much, it’s not a bad investment.
I actually cut some of the wood myself (check with your local forests to see if you can get a permit), it’s good exercise. It’s nice to know how to cut a tree with hand tools, then limb it (cut the limbs off), buck it (cut it into smaller sections), and finally cut and split it to length (usually less than 16” for the stoves, somewhat larger for fireplaces) but it’s a lot of work. I know how, and have the tools to do it put away, but once I learned, I decided to use power tools. Even so, cutting and splitting with power tools is still a pretty good workout.
Using powered or hand tools to cut wood are dangerous. You should get trained by a pro, and be careful. Be sure to get all the protective equipment, including Kevlar chaps, a hard hat with face and eye guards, and hearing protection, and gloves. Follow all the other safety recommendations as well. If you’re going to use powered cutting tools, stock up on spares like chainsaw chains, 2-stroke oil, bar grease, a sharpening guide (and files), etc. If you really want to get serious with crosscut timber saws, get a kerf setter, too (kerf is the degree that the saw teeth bend out from the saw, to prevent binding. It has to be reset from time to time).
Propane
If you live in an area where propane is used for cooking or heat, you will have (most likely) a white “sausage” tank outside. These come in different sizes, but 500 to maybe 1,000 gallons are common for homes. Larger tanks are available, you can buy them from individuals but the propane companies will want the tanks pressure tested and certified before they fill them, or they will sell you (or lease you) a tank. Shop around. Usually at least two companies that serve an area. Play them against each other to get the biggest tank you can, filled for as little as possible). By the way, the propane company will probably want the propane tanks grounded, or they may consider the pipe going to the house sufficient. Personally, I’d put in another grounding rod.
I have two tanks, one for each company in the area, both plumbed to the house with shutoff valves. This allows me to fill up the tank from the company that’s charging the least each year, and worked a deal where I lease the tank for $1 per year from them. My tanks are far enough away from everything that should they explode it’s not that risky, but I still have them surrounded by a chain link fence, and have a berm around them (to hide them, when they ask…the berm has grass and flowers on it). This provides a little protection should one ever blow, they’re also on opposite sides of my property so if one goes, the other won’t.
We also have a couple of travel trailers, which have their own propane bottles; and a number of smaller (20#) tanks. Propane will last forever, so storing it isn’t hard – just keep the bottles out of the way, and closed.
Other fuels and petroleum products
Since we have some kerosene lamps and a kerosene space heater, we store about 50 gallons of kerosene in 5-gallon cans. Our Coleman camping stoves are all white gas models (with propane conversions, a great thing to do, cheap, you can use bulk tanks or disposable canisters, and the conversion is cheap and lets you switch back and forth) so we also have around 25 gallons of Coleman-type fuel (naphtha).
It’s not strictly fuel, but of course I store engine oil and lubricants for the vehicles, paint thinner, solvents, gun lubes and cleaners, etc. They are kept in original containers until I move them to the garage, gun room, etc. The 3 trucks each use more than 3 gallons of oil (each) at each change so I try and buy larger (1-, or 5-gallon) containers of oil, rather than 1 qt containers. They get stored in the covered shed.
Finally, since I do some engine maintenance around the house, I sometimes have waste oil and fuel to dispose of. I have a 50-gallon drum that is dedicated to this waste fuel role, and some 5 gallon cans (the ones that have previously held kerosene or engine oil are great for this). I can fill up the 50 gallon waste drum and then pump out smaller quantities of waste oil to burn in a waste oil heater in the winter time, or to take to town to get rid of in an approved dump.

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Wednesday November 15 2006

Three Letters Re: Bullet Casting: A (Relatively) Simple Introduction, by AVL

Hi Jim,
I have two notes regarding casting your own bullets (or any other metal for that matter): First: One piece of safety equipment that you really should have on hand when casting any metal is dry sand. Make sure you have at least 25 pounds of dry sand at the ready. If there is a metal spill, dump the sand on it and it will contain the flow and cool it quickly, plus it will cut of the supply of
oxygen, preventing fire.
Second: A fire extinguisher is good to have to put out fires, but with molten metal flowing all over the place lighting things on fire, a fire extinguisher is not enough. You must never put water on molten metal, because it will cause a steam explosion. This will burn you, and send splatters of molten metal flying all over the place making your problems much worse. Choose a dry chemical fire extinguisher that is rated to be used on electrical fires.
Metal casting is fun, and can be accomplished without accidents if you are diligent about your techniques. It is a skill that will be most useful if and when the SHTF. I just read C.W. Ammen's "The Complete Handbook of Sand Casting" and feel that it is a great start to making almost anything out of metal.
Be blessed! - Chris

 

Jim:
I drop bullets from the mould into the five gallon bucket of water in which I have placed a mesh nylon bag. When I am through casting I hang up the bag of bullets to dry. I have found that lubricant will not stay on damp bullets. Regards, - Vlad

 

Sir:
A link to a much safer and far superior method of manufacturing bullets than casting hot lead is to swage bullets: http://www.corbins.com/
I have had and used professional level swaging equipment from my first business opportunity in 1982.
While I have sold that original business many years ago I continue to manufacture my own jacketed bullets for my favorite bench-rest rifles and continue to enjoy a much safer and cleaner method to manufacture bullets.
While swaging is considerably more expensive (and I continue to cast bullets from time to time, particularly for black powder arms.) I can say from over twenty years now that I enjoy the method and results much more than I could ever enjoy casting hot lead.
Swaged bullets are world record breakers, almost every precision competition rifle event is dominated by custom swaged bullets and for good reason, the ultimate in accuracy and quality.
I have over the years collected a shop full of swage dies for rifle and pistol and have not regretted the purchase, if anything it has enhanced my enjoyment of the craft of reloading, knowing I am in total control from primer choice to jacket material and bullet weight (down to the tenth of a grain!)
I would suggest that if you are serious about swaging that you buy one of the special designed presses (the main product form Corbin pulls double duty as swage press and reloading press) as the pressures involved are too much for a standard reloading press.
Imagine the potential of manufacturing jacketed bullets when you may be the only supplier available, often using junk or scrap metals for jackets (the ability to turn .22 LR casings into jackets for center-fire .22 rifles).
I would not want to place the curse of the foul habit of bench-rest shooting and reloading on any sane person, the benefits of cold lead flow forming of lead and jacketed bullets is worth the investigation. - Wotan

 

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Saturday August 19 2006

Letter Re: Uses for CONEXes at a Retreat

Jim,
You mention using CONEX overseas shipping containers as an improvised house. I have been planning on putting two 40' containers parallel to each other, cut some openings between containers (to "open" up some room) and cutting holes for windows/doors-using the cut outs as shutters over the windows/doors. I bought "one way" containers as they are near perfect, not 7-to-9 year olds being sold cheaper-with holes, dents, rust and doors that won't open. Forest fire and theft were my reasons for using all metal outside. Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions before I light the cutting torch to reality? [Your novel] "Patriots" has given me tons of ideas and encouragement that I can prepare. Thanks, - R.E.

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Monday July 31 2006

How to Build an Inertial Well Slow Pump for Grid Down Emergencies, by Peter Hardt

This article describes how to build an inexpensive, simple, easy to use pump that can pump water out of a residential water well from about 100 feet down. It’s called the “Simple Siphon” pump because its key component is a cleverly designed valve by that same name. (See below). Under ideal conditions it can bring up between 1/2 and 1 gallon per minute. I know this works, because I built and tested one on my own home well. If the power goes out, this pump can get you lifesaving water! Building the Simple Siphon™ Well Pump (SSWP) will require the following:
1. One Simple Siphon™ valve, $12 for a three-pack (not including shipping), available from http://www.siphonsonline.com or write to Simple Siphon Plus, 684 South Drive, Divide Colorado 80814, simplesiphonplus@earthlink.com (Congratulations guys for making a simple, durable, affordable valve that can be used for a wide range of fluid-handling projects!)
2. Amazing Goop® Plumbing adhesive and sealant by Eclectic Products, Inc.
3. One 200 foot roll of 1/2” black thin-wall drip hose (drive around with your valve to different hardware stores until you find one that carries hose small enough to form a tight fit with your valve). The brand I found was RainDrip, 1/2” (.620) Poly Hose, 200 foot coil, part #052020, from Lowe’s Hardware. (You probably won’t be able to get the SSWP to work much deeper than 100 feet, but the extra hose could come in handy for other things, and it certainly is cheap.)
4. One section of 1/2” rigid white PVC pipe, (make sure it will fit over your thin-wall drip hose) and cut off a 2 foot section. (OPTIONAL)
5. One pop riveter (I used one made by United Shoe Machinery Corp, but any manufacturer will do.) Compact, lightweight, simple to use. Read the directions.
6. One box of pop rivets (you only need 4 for this project, but you might wish you had more), 1/8” diameter pop rivets for 1/8” “work thickness”, United Shoe Machinery Corp, stock # S-42-100
7. One small triangular file (a little wooden handle for the file is nice, but not necessary)
8. One electric drill and 1/8” drill bit (some of you will be prepared enough to have an old hand-held crank or push drill, in case the power is already off).
9. One roll of commercial-grade, outdoor-rated duct tape. (You really don’t need it to be that high quality, but you’re only going to use a little of it with this project and if you’re in some kind of survival or emergency situation you won’t want to have cheap duct tape…)
Note: Read through all the instructions below before beginning this project!
Using a small triangular file, file the grooves on the Simple Siphon™ valve a little deeper. Angle the file so that it cuts a more barbed shape into the valve stem. Go easy on the filing – you want an edge, but don’t want to cut too deeply into the copper.
It will keep the hose easier to handle if you leave it coiled in its original size coil, but work loose the end you will be attaching the valve to about 2 feet. Do your best to not kink the hose at any time, if possible.
Before mounting the valve, you’ll want to slide your 2 foot section of PVC over the end of the thin-wall tubing. This will keep the working end of the SSWP straight, so it can’t curve and get caught on the gaps between well pipe sections.
First, bevel both ends of the rigid pipe section so there is no edge to catch on any mineral accretions or pipe gaps. This is especially important for the top edge of the pipe! Getting your SSWP caught going down into the well isn’t such a problem, but getting it caught or snagged coming back up could be a real problem!
Put a little water or dish soap on the end of the flexible hose, then slide the rigid pipe on. There should be enough friction that you won’t need to glue the stiffener in place, and it’s not going to fall off! Push it up far enough to leave you with about 3” of black thin-wall hose to mount the valve to. Once you’re through attaching the valve you can slide the stiffener pipe back down as close to the valve as you can get it.
Now, using a new pencil end (not the eraser end), squirt a small amount of Amazing Goop Plumbing onto the side of the tip. Roll the tip around inside the end of the hose to more or less evenly coat the inside. (Epoxy turned out to be too brittle in early testing. Goop appears to have just the right balance of adhesiveness and flexibility.)
Apply more Goop to the pencil and roll / spread it over the valve stem, especially in the barbed grooves. You have to move quickly, because Amazing Goop Plumbing dries fast!
Push the valve stem into the hose end as far as the valve will go. There will be a bead of Goop at the end of the hose, which will be no problem. Wipe it off with your finger if there’s TOO much and it threatens to drip.
While the Goop is still uncured, drill one hole in the side of the valve stem, close to the top. You should be able to clearly see where the top of the valve stem is through the bulging in the hose. Press the un-turning drill bit into the plastic to start an indentation, then back off of the pressure and start to drill. Use light pressure so that the drill bit does not slide out of position and across the tubing! Be sure you’re not drilling right at the end of the stem.
Immediately put the pop rivet head into the hole and apply the rivet with the tool. If you haven’t used a pop riveter before, practice on a sheet of metal or a few inches of hose.
Turn the hose over and drill a hole approximately opposite the first hole. Rivet it.
Turn the hose so that both rivets are parallel to the ground. Drill a third hole closer to the end of the tubing and rivet it.
Turn the hose over and drill the fourth hole approximately opposite the last hole. Rivet it.
Wipe off any excess Goop, or Goop that may have gotten onto the hose elsewhere. Any Goop you may have gotten on your fingers will just roll up, and you can then wash up with soap and water. (If you’re concerned about getting Goop on your hands, wear vinyl or rubber gloves.)
The Simple Siphon Well Pump assembly will dry more quickly if it’s kept warm indoors (the smell is not strong). 24 hours is the minimum. The Goop’s main job is to seal any leaks that might form between the hose and the valve stem, but it’s also going to help hold the valve to the entire end of the hose, while the rivets only hold the valve to the hose at four points. (This assembly – with no glue - has been actually tested to hold at least 53 pounds of weight, in a bucket hanging from the valve. In further testing the rivets tore through the tubing around a load of 100 pounds or so. This is plenty of strength for the water above the valve and any peak load caused by pumping the hose up and down.)
After a few hours of drying, when the Goop isn’t tacky anymore, re-coil the tubing into a larger circle. My tubing originally came in a coil that was 18 inches across. The hose will have less resistance to moving up and down in the well pipe if it’s not coiled so tightly. I re-coiled my tubing around the back of a recliner, for a diameter of about 25 – 26 inches. If you’re going to be handling your Simple Siphon Well Pump in cold weather, you might want to coil it even larger.
To make handling the hose inside the cramped quarters of a well-house / pump house easier, duct tape the end (not the valve end) to the hose when you make your FIRST loop of hose. This will keep the end from whipping around, and keep it clean if you cover the hose tip too. Every 5 or so loops, duct tape the coils together (one layer will do), then keep coiling. As you insert the tubing, tear off the duct tape as you come to it. Reverse this process when you take the tubing back out of the well when you’re done.
To protect the valve head from damage from getting flung around in tight quarters with metal pipes and fixtures (the pump house), I’m outfitting my pump valve end with a bit of foam rubber-type material to cushion it, and will remove the tip cover when I’m ready to insert the SSWP.
NOTE: If you’re building your Simple Siphon Well Pump in advance of a regional or national electrical emergency, you might consider preparing at least one of your spare Simple Siphon valves in advance. Since drilling through the copper valve stem is the one step that involves an electrical tool (drill), you could pre-drill (and pre-file, might as well) one of your spare valves in the appropriate places. Save the spare to replace your main valve if it gets damage, if you need to build a second pump, or if your original hose gets damaged and you need to shorten it (removing a valve once riveted on is hard work unless you have an electric drill handy).
Once your spare valve was slid into a tight-fitting hose end, you should be able to gently probe the plastic to locate where the holes are and manually drill through the hose with an awl, or small and sharp Phillip’s screwdriver head, or with a manual drill (crank, or Yankee screwdriver-style push drill), then rivet it in place.To use your SSWP you’ll need:
1. The SSWP
2. Two pipe wrenches (at least 14” long, probably no shorter than that, wrenches that are much longer than that may be hard to use in a cramped pump house)
3. 2 clean rags or washcloths – one dry, one soaking wet
4. Roll of duct tape (of course!)
5. One contractor-grade 30-gallon trash bag
6. One or two 5-gallon water bottles (When transporting water remember this: it weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Each of these bottles will weigh 40 pounds. It’s probably easier to move heavy weights like these two at a time.)
7. Two feet or so of the thin-wall tubing, cut off and carefully split lengthwise
8. Teflon thread tape for plumbing
9. A 3/4” x 1” female plumbing adapter (50 cents or so, threaded for 1" O.D. pipe on one end, with a 1" inner diameter un-threaded end on the other) will cover the threads on the well pipe so they don't cut into the SSWP piping.
Take two pipe wrenches out to your wellhead and remove the well pipe cap. One wrench holds the well pipe from turning, and the other, facing the opposite direction, turns the well cap. Get help if you don’t understand how pipe wrenches work. (If you’re testing this before the power actually goes out, you must first shut off the well pump switch and drain the water from the pressure tank. In fact, even after a power failure, to be on the safe side, check that there is no water pressure in the pressure tank.)
Use one clean rag to thoroughly dry around the top of the well pipe, inside and out.
Tear off a 4 inch piece of duct tape and wrap it around the well pipe, with half of the duct tape above the end of the pipe. Roll the half sticking out over the top edge and into the pipe end. If you can still feel sharp edges through the duct tape, add another layer. Run another section of duct tape around that tape to firmly attach it to the outside of the well pipe. You’re creating a slight cushion at the top of the pipe to protect the SSWP from being scratched or rubbed through when inserting the SSWP or when pushing it up and down. (A hardware store may have something more durable you could adapt to protect the SSWP, just be sure the SSWP will pass easily through its opening, and securely tape your guard to the well pipe to keep it from moving around.)
As you lower the SSWP into the top of the well, use the damp cloth to wipe down the hose as you insert it. Ideally, you could mix a little (a l-i-t-t-l-e !) bleach in the water that you soak the cloth in, to help clean and sterilize the hose as it goes in. Too much bleach will be hard on your hands.
Don’t insert the SSWP too rapidly unless you know the depth of the pump. You don’t want to ram the valve into the top of the pump at the bottom. Slow down as you approach the bottom.
You don’t absolutely need to reach the very bottom of the well pipe. All you need to do is to get the Simple Siphon™ valve several feet (say 6 feet) below the static water level inside the well. The one unknown is how fast water will seep into the well pipe through your model of electric well pump. The deeper you can empty the well pipe with your SSWP, the more water pressure will be exerted at the pump to refill the pipe, and it will refill quicker.
So if you’re pumping the well pipe dry, try pumping at a lower depth. If you’re still pumping it dry at the bottom of the well, you’re just going to have to pump more slowly. Leave the SSWP at least 6 feet above the well pump to give it room to refill (water will seep around the SSWP and up the well pipe, but it will not seep into the end of the SSWP because of the pressure of the water stacked above the Simple Siphon valve, that’s why you have to shove it up and down to create a sucking/pumping action).
Once inserted, if you’re really at the bottom of the well, and you’ve got a lot of extra hose left, cut the hose so there’s enough length to reach your water container and a generous loop as well. Take the remaining part of the hose and have your assistant hold it in your water jug. If you don’t have an assistant, duct tape the hose so it won’t pull out of the opening of the jug.
Do your best to not kink the hose at any time! Once you’ve determined the best working depth for the SSWP, take the split section of hose you prepared earlier and tape it to the SSWP hose so that one end is just inside the well pipe and the other end is where your upper hand will hold the hose. Don’t duct tape the part that is going to be going in and out of the well pipe unless you’re sure the extra thickness won’t be too much for the well pipe. You are reinforcing the “working” part of the SSWP so that it can take the motion of pumping without kinking. If the hose kinks it will continue to fold at that point each time you move the hose, and you’ll have to hold the hose there or otherwise support it.
If you need more hose, you could splice on a short section of hose from another roll, using a double-ended barbed plastic coupler (ideally glued or clamped into place). But don’t use spliced hose in the well pipe unless you’re absolutely desperate, because of the possibility that it could come apart at the splice (long hose stuck inside the well…). You can buy a $15 crimping tool by Murray Keystone ("045, OTC-1000 Tool Crimping", looks like a nipper, but with no sharp edge) and some 3/4" Ideal Crimp Clamps (high-nickel corrosion resistant, my package said 3/4” but it actually fit pretty well over the 1/2” hose. These crimp clamps – use two per side of the connection – work pretty well, but they stick out from the side of the hose too far to risk putting them inside the well pipe. They’ll be fine for an extension between the SSWP and your storage jugs. If you absolutely must use a spliced hose in the well pipe, pin the connector to the two pipe ends with long pop rivets or nails, passed through drilled holes, instead of using a crimper or clamp.)
Once everything is in place, lift the Simple Siphon valve well away from the well pump at the bottom so you don’t smash into it (this is important!). (Remember, the SSWP only needs to be below the static level of the water, not all the way at the bottom of the well…) Quickly build speed going up, then quickly shove the SSWP down into the well pipe about 9 to 12 inches. Draw it back up, then, quickly reversing direction, shove it down again. What causes the suction and pumping action is that the water in the hose gets moving in one direction (up) until it’s moving quickly, and when the hose reverses direction and starts suddenly downward, the water in the hose continues upward from inertia. This creates suction in the valve end of the hose! Water gets sucked in, and the valve keeps it from running back out. (This inertia-caused pumping is the principle behind the SSWP, in fact we first considered calling it the “L.I.F.E. Well Pump,” standing for Lightweight, Inertial-Flow-Effect Well Pump)
Each time the water level in the SSWP will rise about 6 - 9 inches, because of suction caused by the inertia of the water. If the water level is 50 feet underground, this means working the pump up and down 100 times before water reaches the surface – be patient! Eventually, the water will reach the top of the well and come spilling down the hose into the water jug. Repeat for as long as you need, trading off if the operator gets tired. Depending on the well refill rate, you may have to pump for a minute, then wait for 5 minutes or more while the well refills, then pump again. It will be different for every situation.
I strongly recommend that you not leave the SSWP in the well pipe when not in use. For one thing, someone could come along and steal it or damage it, and you are already in a desperate survival or emergency situation. For another, pulling it up gives you a chance to inspect how the valve end is doing and if any holes are being worn in the tubing somewhere along the length of the well pipe. (If you need to remove the Simple Siphon™ valve to move it higher on the tube, or to move it to a new tube, you can drill out the pop rivets if you’re careful, and reuse it!)
When you pull the SSWP out of the well, have your assistant duct tape the first coil of hose as you did when preparing the pump for use. Then as you feed hose to your assistant, have him / her duct tape the coils together every 5 or so loops to keep it under control, and prevent it from kinking. Once the SSWP is completely out of the well and taped off, store it in your construction-grade trash bag. The tube will still have some water in it that you can collect in the bag.
Lightly replace the well pipe cap so that no dirt or insects get into the well. Be sure to tighten the cap (using plumber’s Teflon thread tape, or “plumber’s goop” sealant) before you try to operate the well pump once electricity has been restored! It would be a good idea to leave the pump shut off, in case power comes on unexpectedly and the well cap isn’t on tightly yet…
Once you’re back at home, you can completely drain the tubing of water to get as much out of it as possible. (None of the components are prone to corrosion, so that’s not an issue.) Be sure to check it for damage and repair or replace what has been damaged. A tiny hole in the tube towards the top will only drain off a small amount of water, but a hole nearer the bottom will drain more water because of the greater water pressure there, and will eventually risk the structural integrity of the SSWP.
If you aren’t sure what the quality of the water in wells in your area is, if there is any possibility they are contaminated with bacteria, fungus, or parasites, then please treat the water you retrieve from the well with regular, un-perfumed laundry bleach in the recommended proportions (or use some similar purifying technology). In a crisis, the last thing you need is to come down with some condition or sickness because the water was contaminated.
If you test the SSWP in a functioning well, it would be a good idea to run a cup or two of the bleach described above through the well cap vent hole into the well shaft when you’re finished with your test to kill any bacteria you may have introduced to the system. And it should go without saying that you should NOT use the same SSWP to pump gasoline or contaminated water, as you would to pump from a well.

On a personal note:
The knowledge you now possess on how to get water out of a private well when there is no electrical power could be life-saving power. Before the next major crisis strikes, share this article and concept far and wide. Many people will just dismiss you as a “survivalist nut,” but others will understand and prepare.
Water is a unique resource. You can’t make it from something else. If you find water you can purify it, filter it, sterilize it, store it. But you need to have water, even lousy water, as a starting point. Many locales will have surface water that can be made drinkable. But some locations rely heavily on water wells and have little, if any, surface water. The knowledge in this article will make life-giving water easily available to people in any of those circumstances. (Getting water out of municipal or corporate wells is a slightly different challenge.)
Share the knowledge. Make a difference. The more people who are prepared, the better off we ALL will be.
Other valuable survival resources can be found at:
www.ready.gov
www.redcross.org
Rand Organization Quick Guide
Crofsblogs - Coming Pandemic
Campus Crusade (the ultimate “preparation” - spiritual!)
Note! If you have the money and would like to buy a commercially made inertial well pump, check out Waterra.com.
Also, well “bailers” have been around for a long time in the well drilling trade. They’re long, narrow tubes with a simple ball valve at the bottom. You lower them into your well (small ones – typically 3/4” diameter – can fit right into the well pipe by only removing the pipe cap with a pipe wrench and not the whole well cap!) with a cord or twine and pull them up to empty them. It’s slow going, but VERY simple and VERY reliable. Here are some suppliers: Vosstech, Environmental-expert.com, and Waterra.com Buy a pack of them and share with your neighbors!
This information is copyrighted for the purposes of making it freely available to the public. No one else can copyright or control this information, except perhaps to charge for the cost of simply photocopying this article. It can be reproduced or transmitted in any form, so long as the entire text is included. No promotional support has been received from any company for endorsing any product. This article exists because this approach works, and could make a very large difference in how well families across the United States cope with a long-term disaster. May God have mercy on us all. - Peter Hardt

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Wednesday February 15 2006

Letter Re: Barns, Barn Designs, and Fire

Hello James,
I have had the heart rending experience of watching my neighbor's barn burn to the ground a few days ago. His livestock fleeing out of it, in desperation... I don't think they all made it. This brings up many topics of discussion. In moving to the country, it is easy to use an old building like it was designed to handle new demands, (i.e.- specifically power consumption, hot temp equipment storage, etc...). Somewhere in your archives the topic of fire protection came to mind. I hate to admit, but it did not sink in like it did seeing that massive structure go from first sight of smoke to flattened, in 20 minutes.
Here are a few observations that may have contributed to this fire-
1). Old building construction methods ("balloon" type framing.)
2). Old wood will never be fireproof
3). 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s wiring is not likely to be safe to use in an agricultural building where the wires are almost always exposed to rodents and the elements, resulting in damage. [JWR Adds:  Any such wiring should be completely replaced with modern wiring that is fully encased in galvanized steel conduit!]
4). Concrete and heat do not mix
5). Leave a viable escape route for the livestock, (i.e.-light duty tube gates, light duty flat channel gates, or just electric fence strands in aisleways.)
6). Storing wet/damp hay
7). Overloading electrical wiring/circuitry

If you own an older agricultural building and plan on needing it because that new "Morton" building is too expensive, than plan on some time consuming preventatives. Fire stops, (i.e.- draft stops) are the most important contribution you can make yourself with little expense. Take the time and plug every dang gap,crack,void, or cavity that permits you to view or pass air between the levels. This at the very least will buy you more time until the fire department arrives.
You will be better off to condemn the power service to the barn than to overload it and have a catastrophe.
Once a structure has a fire, the foundation and associated concrete items are severely structurally damaged. Try tossing a cement masons block into a fire and leave there until the next day, give it a tap with a bat, and then [for comparison] tap an unfired block. The fired block is not worthy of the structural demands it was designed to meet any longer. In the case of my neighbors barn fire, the adjoining buildings suffered damage that we can't see simply from the heat. The grain silos, (concrete and steel) ignited their contents from heat alone. These are still burning and are now a 7 story disaster waiting to happen. I have seen it happen before. They will collapse without warning.
Wet/damp hay WILL combust and cause many barn fires. DO NOT BALE WET OR HAY THAT IS DAMP WITH DEW! Save yourself some money and hire it done by an expert. One last topic worth discussing is where should you put your Gun Safe. If your safe is situated over a basement, crawl space, or basically any wood structure below, you are asking for trouble. If/when you have a fire in the building that houses the Gun Safe, and it collapses upon itself, you literally have less than an hour to retrieve your safe before the contents are toast. Think about locating your safe on a north wall, (winds in much of the U.S.A. are predominantly from the N.-N.W.) This could give you the ability to get closer to the safe with some piece of equipment (in the event of a fire) and increase your chances of retrieving it. Consider welding a heavy chain to the safe and hiding [the tail end of it out the building, an slightly bury it [and "flag" the end, somehow.] A backhoe could easily reach the chain and hook it with it's teeth to rip the safe from the hot coals. Do not store ANY ammunition inside your vault. Once the internal temps get so far, the ammunition will start cooking off. In doing so, it will likely ruin all the contents of your safe. At least there is a chance of salvation if there is not any ammo in the safe.

I pray for those who have experienced a fire. There are very few forces like it in nature. It was a very helpless feeling. Plan, Prepare, Do not despair, -The Wanderer

JWR Replies:  For any of you that might ever build a farm from scratch, even if you build a steel barn there is always a greater risk of barn fires than house fires. Therefore, it is important that, terrain permitting, you: a.) build your barn at least 50 feet away from your house, b.) Make sure that your house has a fire-proof roof, c.) Install a proper fire fighting hose rig with at least a 2,000 gallon cistern feeding a 1.5-inch or larger service line, preferably gravity-fed, and d.)  Build your house upwind from your barn. (BTW, the latter is an advantage vis-a-vis barn smells, too.)

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Tuesday February 7 2006

Letter Re: David in Israel on Fire Starting

Mr. Rawles:
David from Israel wrote in with some interesting suggestions on fire starting. The method that I use in severe weather conditions is to first dig a small hole, about 6 inches in diameter and about 8 inches deep. Facing into the wind, I dig a small channel into the side of the hole, about 2 or 3 inches wide and sloping up from the bottom of the small hole, about 6 inches long. Then I put tinder in the pit and arrange short twigs around the tinder so that the twigs look like a teepee. To make tinder you can use cotton balls dipped in paraffin wax, or take a small block of resinous wood such as yellow pine and cut slivers and shavings off of it, then cut the block making slivers still attached to the block. You can also use straw or dry grass for tinder - if the grass on top is wet usually you can find dry grass below. I cover the circular hole with twigs and tinder, leaving the channel open, and then put small (1 inch diameter) sticks on top arranged ends inward, in a circle. If the wind is blowing hard, it's a good idea to make a windbreak so that the hole does not have wind blowing directly into it. Sticks, grass, and rocks make a good windbreak - place it about a foot away from the hole. Now take a match and strike it in the channel and put the flame on the tinder, or take a piece of flint and rub it against a piece of steel to produce sparks and make sure they land on the tinder. You'll see the tinder catch, and then blow carefully on the tinder so as not to put it out. It takes a bit of practice, so try this when your life doesn't depend on it (surely people camped out when they were growing up and know about all this?) When you see a flame, put sticks and dry grass in the channel, and soon you will have a good fire. I used this method to start a fire in a blizzard where the snow was blowing straight across (and made a six-inch layer on my sleeping bag in the morning) and the fire was really hot, but there was still six inches of ice around the fire, then snow. BTW, if you want to sleep soundly in such a situation, make sure your head is covered. - H.L.

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